US Presses China to Show Leadership on N. Korea, Cut Oil Exports

However, the state-owned media outlet did not mention whether China had agreed to Trump's request regarding the oil.

China has already ordered the closure of North Korean businesses in the country and told Chinese companies they can not hire new workers from the North or renew contracts.

"The problem is that January isn't that far away so it doesn't give the North Korean partners much time to sell off their portion of the company", said Cheng Xiaohe, a North Korea specialist at Beijing's Renmin University.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he still had confidence in diplomatic efforts on North Korea and that the United States would be "unrelenting" in working through the United Nations.

North Korea and the US have threatened one another with war over Pyongyang's decision to defy worldwide appeals and continue developing nuclear weapons.

"That said, I fully support the position of our president and the Foreign Ministry on the issue".

"Now we're extremely restricted by the types of trade we can do with North Korea".

In sharp contrast, however, comments in China's state media about the latest test and sanctions were more direct, with some even putting the blame for the launch on the United States.

"We do not tolerate the DPRK's nuclear weapon claims [the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or North Korea]", Lavrov said.

TASS reported that Lavrov - who is on a visit to Rome - explained that using force against North Korea would be "playing with fire" and "a big mistake" and that Moscow would do everything it could to avoid such a scenario.

If the businesses don't achieve their targets, the head of the business in China gets sent back to North Korea and a new person is sent to replace them, Cheng said.

"Two diplomats had already been withdrawn from the German embassy in Pyongyang, and a third was being pulled out now, Gabriel said".

"It is time the US realized that increasing and tightening sanctions already in place will not have the desired effect. Condemnations from the U.N. Security Council and the new sanctions that may follow will solve nothing", the article said.

Staff at the reception desk at the Chilbosan, who confirmed the hotel was North Korean-owned, said they had no plans to close because of the sanctions.

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